Ignition system por intesnal-combttstiou engines



Aug. 18, 1925. I 1,549,994

Y F. w. KNAPPMEIER IGNITION SYSTEM FCR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 24, 1923 I j 1 1 9 5. INVENTOR;

$9 Fagin 0% WA Hd QOMLICI Patented Aug. 18, 1925. I

UNITED STATES FREDRICK V]. KNAPPIi-IEIER, OF PONDS, MISSOURI.

IGNITION SYSTELE FOR INTERNAL-COFIBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed March 24, 1923. Serial No. 627,252.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Fnnnnron WILLIAM KNArrMnrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ponds, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition Systems for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a timer for that type of internal combustion engine having a timer on the cam shaft. Heretofore it has been necessary in this type of engine to supply a plurality of induction coils in proper sequence with current through their primary windings by the use of a timer on the cam shaft, the arm of the timer being grounded through the shaft, and the secondary windings of the various coils supplying a high tension current to their respective spark plugs. This invention makes possible, in this particular type of engine, the use of a single coil, thereby eliminating the other coils and approximately one-half of the wiring and simplifying the system generally, as well as materially steadying the operation of the engine, because of the use of a single vibrator incident to the use of a single coil. To this end the invention consists generally in providing a novel form of timer for this type of engine, in which the timer arm is insulated from the cam shaft. Other ob jects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the timer of my invention in position at the front part of the engine housing;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the timer;

Figure 3 is a vertical central sectional view through the timer;

Figure 4 is a View of the timer contact arm as it appears when looking toward the engine housing;

Figure 5 is an inside view of the timer disk.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, l designates the engine housing, which has a bearing 2 for the cam shaft 3 and a bearing for the drum 5, which is preferably of brass, and is seated at 6 in an annular recess '7 of a cap 8 molded of insulating material. A projection 9 interrupts the continuity of annular recess 7 and engages a slot 10 in drum 5 for the purpose of locating cap 8 relatively to drum 5 and insuring simultaneous rotation of drum 5 and cap 8 for purposes herein referred to. Cap 8 has a central boss 11 hollowed out at 12 for the reception of projecting cam shaft 3, nut 13, and metal nut cover 14. Nut 13 made of insulating material is screwed on thread 15 of cam shaft and secures an arm 16 of insulating material to shaft 3, said arm 18 being, also, secured by a pin 17 passing through said shaft 16 and a slot 18 in arm 18. An insulating washer 19 is interposed between nut 13 and arm 16 and a metal washer 20 is interposed between arm 16 and shoulder 21 of shaft 3. A hollow contact stud 22, preferably copper, fits loosely in a cylindrical recess 23 and is held against inner face 24 of cap 8 by a compression spring 25 interposed between the inner side 26 of stud 22 and the bottom 27 of recess 23. Recess 28 communicates with a slot 28 for containing a stranded copper wire 29 soldered at one end to stud 22 and at its other end to thin metal cap 14 having side walls 30 and an end wall 31 following the contour of hexagonal nut 13. all 31 contacts with the head 32 of metal screw 33 passing through a central opening 34 in boss 11 and is secured to a wire 35 by nuts 36, a rubber washer 37 being interposed between wire 35 and end face 38 of cap 8. A plurality of metal contact studs 39, 40, 41, and 42, equal in number to the number of cylinders in the engine (in the present instance four) are embedded in the flange 43 of cap 8 and have their faces flush with the inner face 24 of flange 43, the distance of said studs from the center of the shaft 3 being equal to the distance of stud 22 from the center of shaft 3, the stud 22 passing over and contacting once with each of the studs 39, 40, 41, and 42 during each revolution of the cam shaft 3. The studs 41 and 42 have threaded stems 44 and 45, which extend through flange 43 and bosses 46 for connection to wires 47 and 48 respectively. A ledge 49 rises from the outside face 50 of flange 43 and has bosses 51 through which passes screws 52 and 53, the inner end of said screws contacting with one end of plates 54 imbedded in flange 43, the other end .of each of said plates terminating in the studs 39 and 40 respectively. l/Vires 55 and 56 are connected to screws 52 and 53 respectively. Nuts 57 and washers 58 secure the wires 47, -18, and 56 to their respective screws M, as, 52, and The purpose of ledge 49 is to place wires 55 and 56 in a different plane than that of wires 4:7 and 4:8 for better spacing. Boss 11 has a journal 59 for a bearing 60 in a retaining arm (31 secured to engine housing 1 by a screw 62. Arm G1 has a bend 63 for clearing the wires and screws extending "from cap 8 and presses against shoulder G l of boss ll to retain the head 32 of screw 33 in contact with metal cover 1 1-; on nut 13. Drum 5 has a bearing (35 (secured thereto in any suitable manner) for receiving a bent arm 66 of a rod (37 leading to the spark lever control in the usual manner.

When the operator desires to vary the time of the spark he operates the spark lever,

which moves rod 67, whereby drum 5 is retated in bearing, l, carryine; with it, cap 8, with the consequent rotation of studs 39, i0, 41, and 42, with the result that contact between brush and the studs 39, at), -il-1, and a2 is established at a sooner or later period in the cycle of the engine, according to the direction of rotation of drum Having thus describedv this invention, I hereby reserve the benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, as it is evident that many minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a revoluble shaft of an internal-combustion engine of a 1'0- tary member fixed to and insulated from said shaft and carrying a conducting brush, a nut of insulation material screwed on the end of said shaft, a conducting member carried by said nut and insulated from said shaft thereby, an electrical connection from said brush to said conducting member, an insulated stationary member having a plurality of conducting elements insulated from one another and arranged in the path traversed by said, brush so as to be contacted thereby, and a stationary conducting member adapted to contact with said rotatable conducting member.

2. The combination with a revoluble shaft of an internal-combustion engine of a rotary member fixed to and insulated from said shaft and carrying a conducting brush, a nut of insulation material screwed on the end of said shaft, a conducting, member carried by said nut and: insulated from said, shaft thereby, an electrical connection from,

said brush to said conducting member, an insulated stationary member having a plurality of conducting, elements insulated from one another and arranged in the path traversed by said brush so as to be contacted thereby, and a binding post carried by the insulated stationary member and extending therethrough in alinement with the shaft, the inner end of said binding post contacting with said rotatable conducting member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

FR'EDRIOK W. KNAPPMEIER. 

